Gingerbread men (or women!)

Does anyone have a tried and tested recipe for gingerbread men they can share?

I found this Delia one:

http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/gingerbread-men,1021,RC.html

But it seems a bit complicated to me, wondered if there is a simpler way.

I haven't made it myself, but have heard good things about Martha's recipe:

http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.fc77a0dbc44dd1611e3bf410b5900aa0/?vgnextoid=37d0e38e6ec0f010VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&autonomy_kw=gingerbread%20men&rsc=ns2006_m2

This is the one that I make every year and it never fails, plus it's fun to watch the mixture bubble:

100g sugar
165g golden syrup
1.5 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp bicarb
125g butter or marg, cut into chunks
1 medium egg, beaten
525g plain flour

Preheat oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3.  Bring first 6 ingredients to boil in 3 litre saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Remove saucepan from heat; stir in bicarb (mixture will foam in pan).  Stir in butter until melted.  Using fork, stir in egg, then flour.

Knead dough on floured surface until thoroughly mixed.  Divide in half.  Wrap half in cling film and set aside.  Using floured rolling pin, roll out remaining half of dough slightly less than 5mm thick.  With floured cutters, cut dough into as many biscuits as possible.  Place on ungreased large baking tray 2-3cm apart.

Bake for 12 mins or until edges start to brown, remove to wire rack to cool.

I failed miserably with the gingerbread men last year. I don't remember what recipe I used, but I'm convinced it was not printed correctly. I may have to try again with one of these.

Do you want them crispy, like snaps or soft?
I make them cruncy and use this recipe:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/15803

Thanks everyone. I want to make soft(ish) ones this time so I'm going to try Cait's recipe.

  Divide in half.  Wrap half in cling film and set aside. 

What do you do with the other half? Will it keep in the fridge or freezer?

Ta

Truth be told, Bob, I haven't the foggiest.  I do wrap the other half in cling film, but only to prevent it from drying out whilst rolling, shaping and baking the first batch.  I will have to defer to those with better baking knowledge than mine.

Britwife - I'm pm'ing you the recipe my mom uses.

this is the recipe I use

http://www.canadianliving.com/food/gingerbread_dough_for_gingerbread_party_houses.php

We make the little houses every Christmas Eve and the rest of the gingerbread is for cookies (men and women).  My kids have been doing this since they were tiny.  Even now as teenagers, they still want their gingerbread houses to decorate and then eat on New Year's Eve. 

I use Martha's recipe for the 'glue' using cooked sugar.   

You divide the dough when you put it in the fridge so that it is easier to handle - and yes Bob, you can use all the dough!

Will I be able to get dark mollasses here?

Yes.

even though my recipe calls for two kinds of molasses, I just use treacle and it works just fine. 

For mine, I use a mix of light and dark treacle. I find the dark treacle, alone, a bit too bitter.

Britwife - I'm pm'ing you the recipe my mom uses.

That would be great, thanks! I used Cait's recipe today but I couldn't get one of those gingerman cutters so we made ginger animals instead. The dough was very easy to make  & very tasty. Always keen to try out other recipes though.